What did you do before serving in the Missouri State Senate?

I’ve been out of college for 25 years and up to this point I have spent my entire career working in the private sector.  I have an undergraduate degree in economics and a MBA in finance.  I worked half of my career in the capital markets in New York and half of my career back here in St. Louis with AG Edwards and what is now Wells Fargo Advisors.  During this time, I have focused on my marriage and on raising my six children.

Why did you decide to run for State Senate?

When I came back to St. Louis 12 years ago, I got very involved in the community.  I serve on numerous charitable boards, most of which focus on education and on inner city at risk children…I have been involved in many other organizations as well, including start-up schools and mentoring programs.  So my decision to run for State Senate was really just an extension of my community service.

Can you describe what it has been like serving as a State Senator?

We just finished our ninth week in the Senate.  We are almost halfway through the session.  I arrive at the Capitol building around 2 p.m. on Monday and get back to Clayton around 2 p.m. on Thursday because I still have a full time job and am very active in the community.  At the Capitol I serve on five different standing committees and several other statutory committees.  As a result, I am on the floor or in committee five or six hours a day debating bills.

What has been the most rewarding experience you have had as a State Senator?

The most rewarding experience for me was being asked to sponsor a domestic violence bill that was the product of a lot of people coming together on a task force in 2010 led by the attorney general to update all of our domestic violence laws.  It contains important changes that will make an impact in many people’s lives in expanding the rights and protections of children and teenagers in domestic violence situations.

What has been the most challenging experience you have had as a State Senator?

The challenge is just to stay on top of everything…There are around 430 Senate bills and we will probably take up maybe less than a third of those…To be prepared to vote, you have to do a lot of homework on things that are foreign to you.

What are some specific goals you have for the rest of your term?

For the rest of my term, I am going to be counterbalancing a focus on social issues like domestic violence and human trafficking with a focus on economic issues.  Adoption will be a consistent part of my term in office.  I have six children; three of them are internationally adopted and the process of adopting is in need of great reform.  When I got to the capital, I found very little pre-existing legislation concerning adoption.  The bill we are filing this year has a lot to do with orphans being able to access information about their biological parents later in life, but ultimately, my hope is to reform the process itself.  The adoption process currently takes way to long to finalize – it is almost a two-year process.

Because I have a background in business and finance, many of the committees I serve on have to do with economic development, commerce, and transportation.  My goal is really to be a leader in those areas to try and revitalize Missouri’s economy.

What are some of the positive and negative aspects of the Jefferson City political process that you have observed so far?

I think the biggest positive of the process is public hearings.  If you haven’t been, I highly recommend you go.  Hearings are open to the public and it’s an absolutely amazing process to watch.  People come from all over the state and the committee will sit and listen to each person’s testimony no matter how long it takes.”

I really haven’t found the negative aspect yet.  There are only eight Democrats in the Senate right now and I’ve become very good friends with all of them.  When you look at what has passed so far, bills have almost always passed overwhelmingly with little opposition.

What message do you want to share with your constituents from the 24th District?

I want to say that this is my first time ever involved in politics.  When I look back on it, lots of people got engaged during the campaign season, but it’s too easy to go back to things as normal.  I think that citizens need to be much more involved in the process.  If you can’t afford the time to go to Jefferson City and advocate there, don’t hesitate to go to your local municipal meetings…All politics is local and nothing is more local than your city politics.  So I would encourage everyone to get more involved in the political process and you can truly make a difference.